diff --git a/hw/vfio-user/common.c b/hw/vfio-user/common.c
index 160a1f0536..b78b9e57e8 100644
--- a/hw/vfio-user/common.c
+++ b/hw/vfio-user/common.c
@@ -44,7 +44,6 @@ static void vfio_user_shutdown(VFIOUserProxy *proxy);
 static int vfio_user_send_qio(VFIOUserProxy *proxy, VFIOUserMsg *msg);
 static VFIOUserMsg *vfio_user_getmsg(VFIOUserProxy *proxy, VFIOUserHdr *hdr,
                                      VFIOUserFDs *fds);
-static VFIOUserFDs *vfio_user_getfds(int numfds);
 static void vfio_user_recycle(VFIOUserProxy *proxy, VFIOUserMsg *msg);
 
 static void vfio_user_recv(void *opaque);
@@ -57,10 +56,6 @@ static void vfio_user_request(void *opaque);
 static int vfio_user_send_queued(VFIOUserProxy *proxy, VFIOUserMsg *msg);
 static void vfio_user_send_async(VFIOUserProxy *proxy, VFIOUserHdr *hdr,
                                  VFIOUserFDs *fds);
-static void vfio_user_send_wait(VFIOUserProxy *proxy, VFIOUserHdr *hdr,
-                                VFIOUserFDs *fds, int rsize);
-static void vfio_user_request_msg(VFIOUserHdr *hdr, uint16_t cmd,
-                                  uint32_t size, uint32_t flags);
 
 static inline void vfio_user_set_error(VFIOUserHdr *hdr, uint32_t err)
 {
@@ -152,7 +147,7 @@ static void vfio_user_recycle(VFIOUserProxy *proxy, VFIOUserMsg *msg)
     QTAILQ_INSERT_HEAD(&proxy->free, msg, next);
 }
 
-static VFIOUserFDs *vfio_user_getfds(int numfds)
+VFIOUserFDs *vfio_user_getfds(int numfds)
 {
     VFIOUserFDs *fds = g_malloc0(sizeof(*fds) + (numfds * sizeof(int)));
 
@@ -655,8 +650,38 @@ static void vfio_user_send_async(VFIOUserProxy *proxy, VFIOUserHdr *hdr,
     }
 }
 
-static void vfio_user_send_wait(VFIOUserProxy *proxy, VFIOUserHdr *hdr,
-                                VFIOUserFDs *fds, int rsize)
+/*
+ * nowait send - vfio_wait_reqs() can wait for it later
+ */
+void vfio_user_send_nowait(VFIOUserProxy *proxy, VFIOUserHdr *hdr,
+                           VFIOUserFDs *fds, int rsize)
+{
+    VFIOUserMsg *msg;
+    int ret;
+
+    if (hdr->flags & VFIO_USER_NO_REPLY) {
+        error_printf("vfio_user_send_nowait on async message\n");
+        return;
+    }
+
+    QEMU_LOCK_GUARD(&proxy->lock);
+
+    msg = vfio_user_getmsg(proxy, hdr, fds);
+    msg->id = hdr->id;
+    msg->rsize = rsize ? rsize : hdr->size;
+    msg->type = VFIO_MSG_NOWAIT;
+
+    ret = vfio_user_send_queued(proxy, msg);
+    if (ret < 0) {
+        vfio_user_recycle(proxy, msg);
+        return;
+    }
+
+    proxy->last_nowait = msg;
+}
+
+void vfio_user_send_wait(VFIOUserProxy *proxy, VFIOUserHdr *hdr,
+                         VFIOUserFDs *fds, int rsize)
 {
     VFIOUserMsg *msg;
     int ret;
@@ -693,6 +718,50 @@ static void vfio_user_send_wait(VFIOUserProxy *proxy, VFIOUserHdr *hdr,
     qemu_mutex_unlock(&proxy->lock);
 }
 
+void vfio_user_wait_reqs(VFIOUserProxy *proxy)
+{
+    VFIOUserMsg *msg;
+
+    /*
+     * Any DMA map/unmap requests sent in the middle
+     * of a memory region transaction were sent nowait.
+     * Wait for them here.
+     */
+    qemu_mutex_lock(&proxy->lock);
+    if (proxy->last_nowait != NULL) {
+        /*
+         * Change type to WAIT to wait for reply
+         */
+        msg = proxy->last_nowait;
+        msg->type = VFIO_MSG_WAIT;
+        proxy->last_nowait = NULL;
+        while (!msg->complete) {
+            if (!qemu_cond_timedwait(&msg->cv, &proxy->lock, wait_time)) {
+                VFIOUserMsgQ *list;
+
+                list = msg->pending ? &proxy->pending : &proxy->outgoing;
+                QTAILQ_REMOVE(list, msg, next);
+                error_printf("vfio_wait_reqs - timed out\n");
+                break;
+            }
+        }
+
+        if (msg->hdr->flags & VFIO_USER_ERROR) {
+            error_printf("vfio_user_wait_reqs - error reply on async ");
+            error_printf("request: command %x error %s\n", msg->hdr->command,
+                         strerror(msg->hdr->error_reply));
+        }
+
+        /*
+         * Change type back to NOWAIT to free
+         */
+        msg->type = VFIO_MSG_NOWAIT;
+        vfio_user_recycle(proxy, msg);
+    }
+
+    qemu_mutex_unlock(&proxy->lock);
+}
+
 static QLIST_HEAD(, VFIOUserProxy) vfio_user_sockets =
     QLIST_HEAD_INITIALIZER(vfio_user_sockets);
 
@@ -827,8 +896,8 @@ void vfio_user_disconnect(VFIOUserProxy *proxy)
     g_free(proxy);
 }
 
-static void vfio_user_request_msg(VFIOUserHdr *hdr, uint16_t cmd,
-                                  uint32_t size, uint32_t flags)
+void vfio_user_request_msg(VFIOUserHdr *hdr, uint16_t cmd,
+                           uint32_t size, uint32_t flags)
 {
     static uint16_t next_id;
 
diff --git a/hw/vfio-user/common.h b/hw/vfio-user/common.h
index c09637dd48..f7cc02d2e7 100644
--- a/hw/vfio-user/common.h
+++ b/hw/vfio-user/common.h
@@ -65,6 +65,7 @@ typedef struct VFIOUserProxy {
     QemuCond close_cv;
     AioContext *ctx;
     QEMUBH *req_bh;
+    bool async_ops;
 
     /*
      * above only changed when BQL is held
@@ -96,6 +97,14 @@ void vfio_user_set_handler(VFIODevice *vbasedev,
 bool vfio_user_validate_version(VFIOUserProxy *proxy, Error **errp);
 int vfio_user_get_info(VFIOUserProxy *proxy, struct vfio_device_info *info);
 void vfio_user_reset(VFIOUserProxy *proxy);
+VFIOUserFDs *vfio_user_getfds(int numfds);
+void vfio_user_request_msg(VFIOUserHdr *hdr, uint16_t cmd,
+                           uint32_t size, uint32_t flags);
+void vfio_user_wait_reqs(VFIOUserProxy *proxy);
+void vfio_user_send_nowait(VFIOUserProxy *proxy, VFIOUserHdr *hdr,
+                           VFIOUserFDs *fds, int rsize);
+void vfio_user_send_wait(VFIOUserProxy *proxy, VFIOUserHdr *hdr,
+                         VFIOUserFDs *fds, int rsize);
 
 extern VFIODeviceIO vfio_dev_io_sock;
 
diff --git a/hw/vfio-user/container.c b/hw/vfio-user/container.c
index 0c487dbb92..3974bc8a8c 100644
--- a/hw/vfio-user/container.c
+++ b/hw/vfio-user/container.c
@@ -23,18 +23,119 @@
 #include "qapi/error.h"
 #include "trace.h"
 
+/*
+ * When DMA space is the physical address space, the region add/del listeners
+ * will fire during memory update transactions.  These depend on BQL being held,
+ * so do any resulting map/demap ops async while keeping BQL.
+ */
+static void vfio_user_listener_begin(VFIOContainerBase *bcontainer)
+{
+    VFIOUserContainer *container = container_of(bcontainer, VFIOUserContainer,
+                                                 bcontainer);
+
+    container->proxy->async_ops = true;
+}
+
+static void vfio_user_listener_commit(VFIOContainerBase *bcontainer)
+{
+    VFIOUserContainer *container = container_of(bcontainer, VFIOUserContainer,
+                                            bcontainer);
+
+    /* wait here for any async requests sent during the transaction */
+    container->proxy->async_ops = false;
+    vfio_user_wait_reqs(container->proxy);
+}
+
 static int vfio_user_dma_unmap(const VFIOContainerBase *bcontainer,
                                hwaddr iova, ram_addr_t size,
                                IOMMUTLBEntry *iotlb, int flags)
 {
-    return -ENOTSUP;
+    VFIOUserContainer *container = container_of(bcontainer, VFIOUserContainer,
+                                            bcontainer);
+
+    VFIOUserDMAUnmap *msgp = g_malloc(sizeof(*msgp));
+
+    vfio_user_request_msg(&msgp->hdr, VFIO_USER_DMA_UNMAP, sizeof(*msgp), 0);
+    msgp->argsz = sizeof(struct vfio_iommu_type1_dma_unmap);
+    msgp->flags = flags;
+    msgp->iova = iova;
+    msgp->size = size;
+    trace_vfio_user_dma_unmap(msgp->iova, msgp->size, msgp->flags,
+                              container->proxy->async_ops);
+
+    if (container->proxy->async_ops) {
+        vfio_user_send_nowait(container->proxy, &msgp->hdr, NULL, 0);
+        return 0;
+    }
+
+    vfio_user_send_wait(container->proxy, &msgp->hdr, NULL, 0);
+    if (msgp->hdr.flags & VFIO_USER_ERROR) {
+        return -msgp->hdr.error_reply;
+    }
+
+    g_free(msgp);
+    return 0;
 }
 
 static int vfio_user_dma_map(const VFIOContainerBase *bcontainer, hwaddr iova,
                              ram_addr_t size, void *vaddr, bool readonly,
                              MemoryRegion *mrp)
 {
-    return -ENOTSUP;
+    VFIOUserContainer *container = container_of(bcontainer, VFIOUserContainer,
+                                                bcontainer);
+
+    VFIOUserProxy *proxy = container->proxy;
+    int fd = memory_region_get_fd(mrp);
+    int ret;
+
+    VFIOUserFDs *fds = NULL;
+    VFIOUserDMAMap *msgp = g_malloc0(sizeof(*msgp));
+
+    vfio_user_request_msg(&msgp->hdr, VFIO_USER_DMA_MAP, sizeof(*msgp), 0);
+    msgp->argsz = sizeof(struct vfio_iommu_type1_dma_map);
+    msgp->flags = VFIO_DMA_MAP_FLAG_READ;
+    msgp->offset = 0;
+    msgp->iova = iova;
+    msgp->size = size;
+
+    /*
+     * vaddr enters as a QEMU process address; make it either a file offset
+     * for mapped areas or leave as 0.
+     */
+    if (fd != -1) {
+        msgp->offset = qemu_ram_block_host_offset(mrp->ram_block, vaddr);
+    }
+
+    if (!readonly) {
+        msgp->flags |= VFIO_DMA_MAP_FLAG_WRITE;
+    }
+
+    trace_vfio_user_dma_map(msgp->iova, msgp->size, msgp->offset, msgp->flags,
+                            container->proxy->async_ops);
+
+    /*
+     * The async_ops case sends without blocking or dropping BQL.
+     * They're later waited for in vfio_send_wait_reqs.
+     */
+    if (container->proxy->async_ops) {
+        /* can't use auto variable since we don't block */
+        if (fd != -1) {
+            fds = vfio_user_getfds(1);
+            fds->send_fds = 1;
+            fds->fds[0] = fd;
+        }
+        vfio_user_send_nowait(proxy, &msgp->hdr, fds, 0);
+        ret = 0;
+    } else {
+        VFIOUserFDs local_fds = { 1, 0, &fd };
+
+        fds = fd != -1 ? &local_fds : NULL;
+        vfio_user_send_wait(proxy, &msgp->hdr, fds, 0);
+        ret = (msgp->hdr.flags & VFIO_USER_ERROR) ? -msgp->hdr.error_reply : 0;
+        g_free(msgp);
+    }
+
+    return ret;
 }
 
 static int
@@ -234,6 +335,8 @@ static void vfio_iommu_user_class_init(ObjectClass *klass, void *data)
     VFIOIOMMUClass *vioc = VFIO_IOMMU_CLASS(klass);
 
     vioc->setup = vfio_user_setup;
+    vioc->listener_begin = vfio_user_listener_begin,
+    vioc->listener_commit = vfio_user_listener_commit,
     vioc->dma_map = vfio_user_dma_map;
     vioc->dma_unmap = vfio_user_dma_unmap;
     vioc->attach_device = vfio_user_attach_device;
diff --git a/hw/vfio-user/protocol.h b/hw/vfio-user/protocol.h
index 48dd475ab3..109076d820 100644
--- a/hw/vfio-user/protocol.h
+++ b/hw/vfio-user/protocol.h
@@ -113,6 +113,31 @@ typedef struct {
  */
 #define VFIO_USER_DEF_MAX_BITMAP (256 * 1024 * 1024)
 
+/*
+ * VFIO_USER_DMA_MAP
+ * imported from struct vfio_iommu_type1_dma_map
+ */
+typedef struct {
+    VFIOUserHdr hdr;
+    uint32_t argsz;
+    uint32_t flags;
+    uint64_t offset;    /* FD offset */
+    uint64_t iova;
+    uint64_t size;
+} VFIOUserDMAMap;
+
+/*
+ * VFIO_USER_DMA_UNMAP
+ * imported from struct vfio_iommu_type1_dma_unmap
+ */
+typedef struct {
+    VFIOUserHdr hdr;
+    uint32_t argsz;
+    uint32_t flags;
+    uint64_t iova;
+    uint64_t size;
+} VFIOUserDMAUnmap;
+
 /*
  * VFIO_USER_DEVICE_GET_INFO
  * imported from struct vfio_device_info
@@ -176,4 +201,11 @@ typedef struct {
     char data[];
 } VFIOUserRegionRW;
 
+/*imported from struct vfio_bitmap */
+typedef struct {
+    uint64_t pgsize;
+    uint64_t size;
+    char data[];
+} VFIOUserBitmap;
+
 #endif /* VFIO_USER_PROTOCOL_H */
diff --git a/hw/vfio-user/trace-events b/hw/vfio-user/trace-events
index 053f5932eb..7ef98813b3 100644
--- a/hw/vfio-user/trace-events
+++ b/hw/vfio-user/trace-events
@@ -11,3 +11,7 @@ vfio_user_get_region_info(uint32_t index, uint32_t flags, uint64_t size) " index
 vfio_user_region_rw(uint32_t region, uint64_t off, uint32_t count) " region %d offset 0x%"PRIx64" count %d"
 vfio_user_get_irq_info(uint32_t index, uint32_t flags, uint32_t count) " index %d flags 0x%x count %d"
 vfio_user_set_irqs(uint32_t index, uint32_t start, uint32_t count, uint32_t flags) " index %d start %d count %d flags 0x%x"
+
+# container.c
+vfio_user_dma_map(uint64_t iova, uint64_t size, uint64_t off, uint32_t flags, bool async_ops) " iova 0x%"PRIx64" size 0x%"PRIx64" off 0x%"PRIx64" flags 0x%x async_ops %d"
+vfio_user_dma_unmap(uint64_t iova, uint64_t size, uint32_t flags,  bool async_ops) " iova 0x%"PRIx64" size 0x%"PRIx64" flags 0x%x async_ops %d"
